OHH - How many calories for lockdown.png

How many calories do I eat during lockdown?

So you are at the end of Week 2 of lockdown…

Are you using this time to improve your health, invest in it or procrastinate still and live in old habits and routines because they are comfortable?

When it comes to the food you eat, the food choices you make and the habits that come naturally on a daily basis - all of these impact your health.

Whether this be your physical health or your mental health.

We are here to help you, change habits, form new behaviour and give you the tools so when life returns back to normal, you are in such a better place than when we entered lockdown.

So let’s start with the food you eat…

By the end of the article I want you to know:

How many calories you should be eating and why.
Whether your bodies requires a high or low carb approach.
How you can use the time at home now to be healthier, fitter and leaner than ever before.

OHH - Calories to optimise my health.png

How many calories to optimise my health?

This is often confusing, you are not alone, so we aim to clear this up for you.

How many calories should I consume for optimal health?

Right now with the current outbreak of COVID-19, health should be your number one area of concern. With this in mind we want to set calories to a maintenance level.

Maintenance level is to “maintain” the same weight as present.

We do this at ATD Coaching using this formula:

Your bodyweight (kg) x 23 = Daily Calories for Maintenance

Then we need to add in how active you are (currently):

Daily Calories for Maintenance x 1.2 = MAX calories right now

Why Maintenance?

This is the right question, why do we need maintenance.

Well most people right now will be trying to lose weight, in normal circumstances that is great, but right now immune health is your number one priority.

So why maintenance for immune health?

So your immune system needs nutrients, loads of them.

It will get these from what we call single ingredient foods, example:

A carrot is a carrot, it comes with it’s own food enzyme so you can process and breakdown that food naturally.

A biscuit is…. tasty, moreish and I’d eat the pack, but NOT SINGLE INGREDIENT.

Your strategy to Improve

So these calculations are estimates, very strong scientific estimates but they are that, so we have a different strategy that will create some routine for your day and also ensure you leave lockdown physically and mentally fitter than ever before.

Step 1: Set calories to maintenance, eat as much single ingredient food as possible.

Step 2: Be active multiple times per day

So what we are suggesting to all clients is have 3 times a day whereby you exercise physically, 30-45 minutes at a time, spread over the time.

Our suggestions for your activity during lockdown:

Morning: Bodyweight workout from the OHH

Lunchtime / Early Afternoon: Get outside for 30-60 mins of fresh air

Afternoon / Early Evening: Dumbbell / Resistance Band workout from the OHH